UCC Scientist, Dr Rebecca Henry has been awarded the prestigious Royal Society-SFI University Research Fellowship.

6 Oct 2022

Congratulations to Dr Rebecca Henry lecturer in the Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, who has been awarded the prestigious Royal Society-SFI University Research Fellowship.

The Royal Society-SFI University Research Fellowship scheme is for outstanding scientists in the Republic of Ireland who are in the early stages of their research career and have the potential to become leaders in their field. These long-term fellowships provide the opportunity and freedom to build an independent research career in the Republic of Ireland and pursue cutting-edge scientific research.

Dr Henry was awarded Royal Society-SFI University Research Fellowship for her work entitled ‘Preclinical investigation of immunometabolic mechanisms in a model of traumatic brain injury with pre-existing obesity.’ 

Carrying out her postdoctoral work at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA, Dr Henry investigated the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) on neuroimmune responses. Her key research findings demonstrated that delayed depletion of chronically activated microglia after TBI markedly reduces neurodegeneration and improves long-term functional recovery (published in J Neuroscience 2020; >130 citations).

Her key research findings demonstrated that delayed depletion of chronically activated microglia after TBI markedly reduces neurodegeneration and improves long-term functional recovery (published in J Neuroscience 2020; >130 citations).

In recognition of her outstanding research achievements, she received the prestigious Training, Education and Mentoring (TEAM) Award at the 37th Annual Meeting of the National Neurotrauma Society (NNS; 2020), and more recently, the inaugural NNS Rising Star Award at the 38th Annual Meeting of the NNS, 2021.

Award of The Royal Society-SFI University Research Fellowship will allow Dr Henry to develop her novel line of research investigating immunometabolic changes in a preclinical model of co-morbid TBI and obesity, and the overall goal of Dr Henry’s research is to pave the way for novel therapies for TBI patients with pre-existing metabolic disorders.

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News story and photograph Bereniece Riedewald